[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 204 (Thursday, October 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56698-56702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28288]
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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program
Notice: Request for proposals.
SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
announces an open competition for an assistance award. Pursuant to its
grant guidelines established cooperatively with the Congress, ``The
Bureau seeks to promote competition and balance in its discretionary
grant-making and strives to avoid exclusivity.'' Public and private
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to provide
administrative and program services for the Fulbright Senior Scholar
Program in Fiscal Year 2000. In this request for Proposals, the U.S.
Information Agency is placing the administrative cooperative agreement
award for the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program in competition for the
first time in the 52-year history of the Program. Deadline for receipt
of proposals is February 8, 1999. The cooperative agreement will begin
o/a October 1, 1999.
Program Information
Overview
The Fulbright Program was created by the U.S. Congress at the end
of World War II to exchange U.S. and foreign students and scholars,
providing them with the opportunity to experience firsthand the
political, economic and cultural institutions and societies in each
other's countries. In the intervening years, the Fulbright Program has
evolved into the premier educational exchange program sponsored by the
people of the United States through their federal government, and thus
an important element in the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. The
Fulbright Program, which now extends to approximately 140 foreign
countries and involves 5,000 participants overall every year, has
helped to form and inform tens of thousands of the world's leaders in
every academic and professional field. The Senior Scholar portion of
the Fulbright Program will engage approximately 1500 scholars and
professionals in FY 1999.
The hallmark of the Fulbright Program is binationalism. The United
States and foreign governments, educational and other public and
private institutions are all partners in this enterprise. In many
countries of the world, financial contributions from governments or
public/private sources match or exceed those of the United States.
Because of its binational nature, the profile of the Fulbright Program
worldwide reflects a range of objectives and interests.
The Fulbright Program's grant-making authority is contained in the
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 87-256,
as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the
Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the
people of other countries* * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural
interest, developments, and achievements of the people of the United
States and other nations* * * and thus to assist in the development of
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States
and the other countries of the world.'' The Fulbright Program is funded
through annual Congressional appropriations to USIA and receives
significant financial support from partner governments and private
donors worldwide.
In July 1997, a distinguished group of private U.S. and
international professionals organized as the Steering Committee on the
Future of the Fulbright Educational Exchange Program, under the
auspices of the National Humanities Center, carried out a comprehensive
evaluation of all of the components of the Fulbright Program, issuing a
formal report entitled ``Fulbright at Fifty'' (available via internet
at www.nhc.rpt.nc.us:8080 or in hard copy as a part of the Solicitation
Package). The Steering Committee's report reaffirmed the importance of
the Fulbright Program, concluding that it remains ``a vital and
successful means to address the current issues facing established and
emerging nations in the post-Cold War era.'' With specific reference to
the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program the Steering Committee's report
made several suggestions that were drawn on by USIA in the preparation
of this Request for Proposals.
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program
For more than fifty years, the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program has
offered grants for college and university faculty, as well as for non-
academic professionals (such as lawyers and journalists) and
independent scholars, to lecture and conduct research abroad. Thousands
of U.S. and foreign scholars and professionals have participated since
the Fulbright Program's inception. In FY 2000, the Fulbright Senior
Scholar Program will send abroad approximately 750 U.S. scholars and
professionals to lecture and conduct
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research and will bring to this country approximately 800 grantees for
similar activities.
Responsibility for the management of the Fulbright Senior Scholar
Program is currently shared among the U.S. Information Agency in
Washington, fifty-one bilateral Fulbright Commissions and ninety U.S.
Information Service (USIS) posts (the overseas network of USIA), and a
cooperating private sector agency in the United States. Overall policy
guidelines for the Senior Scholar Program are determined by the
Presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
(JWFFSB).
Under the Board's auspices, U.S. citizens are awarded grants each
year through a merit-based, competitive process to teach undergraduate
or graduate courses, collaborate with foreign colleagues on projects,
pursue individual research, conduct seminars, consult with government
ministries and educational institutions, advise on curriculum
development, and guest lecture at other universities. Grant
opportunities for U.S. scholars are determined overseas by binational
Fulbright Commissions and USIS posts in coordination with USIA in
Washington.
Similarly, visiting scholars and professionals travel to the U.S.
each year for research, teaching and guest lecturing. Grantees for this
Program are chosen through open, merit-based competitions in each
country, which are conducted by the Fulbright Commission and, in the
absence of a Commission, by USIS posts. Through the Scholar-in-
Residence component of the Senior Scholar Program, USIA brings scholars
and professionals to U.S. campuses that do not often host foreign
visiting scholars. These campuses are selected through a competition
managed by the cooperating agency.
Special project activities involving U.S. and foreign scholars
include the NATO program, Fulbright German Studies Seminar, U.S./German
International Educational Exchange of Administrators, Japanese
International Education Exchange Administrators and the Southeast Asia
Summer Studies Institutes.
Though the majority of grants under the Fulbright Senior Scholar
Program are and will continue to be individual awards for lecturing and
research for a semester or one-year period, the Program encompasses
other scholarly activities consistent with Fulbright principles.
Current examples include shorter-term awards for distinguished senior
scholars to lecture abroad; serial grants for multi-year exchange
programs; and professional exchanges in such fields as law and
journalism.
Eligibility Guidelines
Public and private non-profit organizations with at least four
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs and
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may
apply to provide administrative and program services for the Fulbright
Senior Scholar Program in Fiscal Year 2000.
Because of its binational character, the Fulbright Program is both
programmatically and administratively complex. It must accommodate a
variety of circumstance in every geographic region of the world and be
responsive to and supportive of many different constituencies in the
United States and abroad, each with its own set of goals and concerns.
At the same time, the integrity of the Program requires that it
maintain the highest and most consistent standards of academic and
professional quality in the selecting of candidates and implementation
of projects as well as a single worldwide identity. USIA has therefore
determine that the overall coherence and quality of Fulbright exchanges
can be sustained only through a unified approach to program
administration. Applicants--whether single organizations or consortia--
must therefore present a plan for administration of the Program
worldwide.
A single organization may apply to administer the entire Fulbright
Senior Scholar Program. Alternatively, organizations may apply as a
consortium, using subcontract arrangements, with each partner having a
specialized regional, exchange, or other kinds of expertise; in this
arrangement, one organization should be designated to be the recipient
of the cooperative agreement award. Applications proposing
administration of the Program by a consortium should provide a detailed
description of arrangements for cooperative work among the partners and
between the partners and the U.S. and overseas academic communities,
bilateral commissions and other entities responsible for the Fulbright
Program to ensure consistent Program quality.
Organizations contemplating applying for this award may wish to
consult the Steering Committee Report (July 1997), ``Fulbright at
Fifty,'' also referred to in the opening paragraphs of this RFP, which
makes a number of thoughtful recommendations about the program. The
Agency views this open competitions as as important opportunity to
elicit program ideas to support the Report's objectives and will
carefully consider the variety of ideas that this competition will
elicit.
Application Guidelines
USIA will work cooperatively and closely with the recipient of this
cooperative agreement award and will maintain a regular dialogue on
administrative issues and questions as they arise over the duration of
the award. Contingent upon satisfactory performance based on annual
reviews, USIA intends to renew this award each year for a period of not
less than four additional years. USIA reserves the right to renew the
award beyond that period.
The recipient of this cooperative agreement award will be
responsible, under USIA supervision, for the following activities
beginning in FY 2000: program planning; publicity; receipt of
applications; applicant screening and nomination; post-nomination
services; fiscal management and program monitoring and reporting.
Responsibilities under the terms of the FY 2000 agreement will not
include monitoring of the FY 1999 (or earlier) scholars. The FY 1999
cooperative agreement award will support that activity.
Program Planning: Applicants should, as part of the proposal,
submit a detailed plan for administration of both the U.S. and Foreign
Senior Scholar Programs. The plan should include the following:
strategies for recruitment of U.S. scholars; planning for the placement
of visiting foreign scholars at U.S. institutions (Note: some foreign
scholars are self-placed); plans for tracking and monitoring of
grantees; and plans for the orientation of U.S. grantees and enrichment
activities for foreign grantees. The description of recruitment
strategies should address the applicant's capacity to respond with
flexibility to unanticipated needs and its ability to develop
innovative models of grant awards. Proposals should include plans for
enhancing the visibility for the Senior Scholar Program and broadening
engagement with the U.S. and overseas academic communities, and may
include other innovative activities, all in cooperation with USIA and
other overseas administrative partners, as appropriate.
In addition, applicants may propose, on a pilot basis and
consistent with J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board
guidelines, new program models such as projects in which U.S. and
foreign experts consult abroad on educational reform and curriculum
development; collaborative research projects involving scholars from
multiple countries or regions; and
[[Page 56700]]
awards to institutions linking faculty from institutions in the U.S.
and abroad; or other innovative projects which would enhance the
traditional Fulbright model. The proposals must conform with USIA
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA
projects and programs are always subject to the availability of funds.
Publicity and Applications: The recipient of the grant award will
be responsible for the preparation and distribution of an ``awards
booklet'' announcing grant opportunities, application packets and
general program announcements, annual directories of scholars, and
flyers to publicize the program. Proposals should address written and
electronic communication, professional networking and other means which
will be used to enhance recruitment efforts. The award recipient will
be responsible for establishing and maintaining a Website for the
Senior Scholar Program with appropriate links to USIA and binational
commissions overseas. Publicity and outreach efforts should include
special emphasis on recruitment of those currently underrepresented in
the Fulbright program, including non-academic professionals in fields
consistent with broad program goals such as journalism and law, people
with disabilities and racial and ethnic minorities.
Screening and Selection Process: The recipient of the cooperative
agreement award will: provide and accept applications from U.S. program
applicants; provide appropriate notification to applicants of their
status on an on-going basis; and pre-screen for eligibility all U.S.
applicants. Suggested procedures should take into account the goal of
USIA to convert from paper-based processing to electronic applications.
The award recipient will be responsible for convening scholarly/
professional peer review committees to screen U.S. applications to
determine which among them will be recommended to U.S. Information
Service posts and Fulbright Commissions overseas and to the J. William
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. In addition to coordinating the
assessment of applicants' scholarly and professional credentials, the
award recipient will also develop procedures to evaluate applicants'
motivation, cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility to ensure a
successful exchange experience.
The award recipient will also screen and place candidates for the
following special countries and programs: Africa professional and
research scholars, Southeast Asia Summer Studies Institute, Persian
Gulf Review, and the Scholar-in-Residence program. Additional
information on these programs is included in the Solicitation Package.
Post-Nomination Services: The award recipient will be responsible
for the following services for U.S. grantees: prepare letters for the
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board informing successful
candidates of their selection; prepare letters for all candidates not
selected or in alternate status; prepare grant award packages for
candidates going to countries where the program is administered by USIS
and to certain Commission countries; respond to queries from grantees;
assist with pre-departure orientation for grantees going to China,
Africa, the NIS, Eastern Europe and the Baltics; maintain data on
participants; review medical forms and identify health problems;
electronically enroll some grantees in health insurance; monitor and
provide grantee reports; prepare recognition certificates for all
grantees; and assist with emergencies.
The award recipient will be responsible for the following services
for foreign grantees: prepare awards packages for foreign scholars and
professionals from non-Commission and approximately twenty Commission
countries; confirm the U.S. affiliation of ``self-placed'' foreign
scholars from certain Commission countries; arrange enrichment
seminars, guest lecturing and other activities; maintain data on
participants; review medical forms and identify health problems;
electronically enroll some grantees in health insurance; monitor and
prepare grantee reports; prepare recognition certificates for all
grantees; serve as ``alternate responsible office'' for issuance of
IAP-66 forms and submit appropriate annual reports on the use of IAP-66
authority; and assist with emergencies.
Fiscal Management and Program Reporting: The cooperative agreement
award recipient will: manage grantee stipend payments, including tax
withholding for foreign grantees, non-Commission and certain Commission
countries; provide quarterly reports on actual and projected
expenditures; transmit electronically program information for inclusion
in Congressional correspondence and in USIA's Exchange Visitor Database
and other reports; provide statistical, insurance and other ad hoc
periodic reports; and monitor and audit internal functions and systems
in accordance with U.S. Government and USIA guidelines.
Budget Guidelines
A comprehensive line item administrative budget must be submitted
with the proposal by the deadline. It is anticipated that funding for
the cooperative agreement award for program administration will be
approximately $4.5 million. In addition, a program budget totaling
approximately $28 million for the global Fulbright Senior Scholar
Program will be transferred to the recipient of the award in quarterly
installments. As result of this competition, if the cooperative
agreement is awarded to an organization not previously associated with
the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program, the amount of the FY 2000 award
will be adjusted downward to reflect a reduced level of administrative
responsibilities in FY 2000. (The FY 1999 cooperative agreement awardee
would continue to monitor and provide support for FY 1999 and earlier
grantees.) Renewal awards to the FY 2000 awardee in subsequent years
would be at levels commensurate with full levels of administrative
responsibility.
Announcement Title and Number
All communications with USIA concerning this RFP should refer to
the announcement's title and reference number E/AE-00-01.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Ms. Rosalind Swenson, Office of
Academic Program, Academic Exchanges Division, E/AE, Room 234, U.S.
Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, phone:
(202) 619-4360, fax: (202) 401-5914; email: rswenson @usia.gov to
request a Solicitation package containing more detailed information.
The package will include all required application forms, standard
guildelines for preparing a proposal, including specific criteria for
preparation of the proposal budget and materials describing the special
programs mentioned above.
All inquiries about the Request for Proposals or any aspect of the
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program should be submitted in writing to Ms.
Swenson. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal
Register announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals.
Any questions or requests for information that applicants wish to make
to overseas Fulbright Commissions or USIS post also should be submitted
in writing to Ms. Swenson for transmission to those overseas offices.
[[Page 56701]]
To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet
The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's
website at http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all
information before downloading.
To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand
The entire Solicitation Package may be requested from the Bureau's
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by
calling 202/401-7616. Please request a `'Catalog'' of available
documents and order numbers when first entering the system.
Deadline for Proposals
All proposal copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency
by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on February 8, 1999. Faxed documents
will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the due date but
received on a later date will not be accepted. Each applicant must
ensure that the proposals are received by the above deadline.
Applicants must follow in instructions in the Solicitation Package.
The original and 15 copies of the application should be sent to: U.S.
Information Agency, Ref.: E/AE-00-01, Office of Grants Management, E/
XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20547.
Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette,
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS)
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review,
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for
the Agency's grants review process.
Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines
Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
adher to the advancement of this principle both in program
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposals. Pub.
L. 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom
and democracy,'' USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide
opportunity for participation in such programs to human rights and
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent
deemed feasible.
Review Process
USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them
first for technically eligibility. Proposals must conform with Agency
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package.
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the
guidelines established herein and in the solicitation packet. Eligible
proposals will undergo further advisory professional revie at USIA
which may include the use of advisory external consultants. Proposals
may be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USIA. All
programs and activities are subject to the availability of funds. Final
technical authority for assistance awards resides with the USIA grants
office.
Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)
The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not bee
accounted for properly.
USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust
for leap years.
Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology
website at http:www.itpolicy,gsa.gov.
Review Criteria
Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank-
ordered.
1. Quality: Proposals should display an understanding of and
respect for the goals and distinguished traditions of the Fulbright
Program, as reflected in the requirements and priorities of this RFP.
In their approach to program management, including the recruitment of
scholars, proposals should demonstrate a commitment to excellence and
creativity, including innovative collaborations with appropriate
academic and professional partners.
2. Program Planning: Proposals should respond to the planning
requirements outlined in the RFP. Planning should demonstrate
substantive rigor. A detailed agenda and work plan, including a
timeline, should demonstrate feasibility and the applicant's logistical
capacity to implement the Program.
3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals should
demonstrate clearly how the applicant will fulfill the Program's
objectives and implement plans, while demonstrating innovation and a
commitment to academic excellence. Proposals should demonstrate a
capacity for flexibility in the management of the Program.
4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve Program goals.
Applicants should demonstrate established links to the scholarly and
professional communities in the U.S. and knowledge of other overseas
educational environment, particularly an awareness of conditions in
societies and educational institutions outside the United States as
they apply to academic and professional exchange programs. Applicants
should also demonstrate their capacity to provide an information
management; database system that meets Program requirements, is
compatible with USIA's systems and, in general, will advance the
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program's ongoing conversion of paper-based
processing to electronic applications and data storage.
5. Institutional Performance: Proposals should demonstrate an
institutional record of managing successful exchange programs
including: significant experience in developing and administering
international exchange programs, sound fiscal management, and full
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Agency cooperative
agreement awards as determined by USIA's Office of Contracts. In its
review of proposals, USIA will consider the past performance of Agency
award recipients
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and the demonstrated potential of organizations which have not
previously received USIA awards.
6. Cost-effectiveness: Overhead and administrative components
including salaries should be economical while adequate and appropriate
to provide the required services. Proposals should document plans to
realize cost-savings and other efficiencies through the use of
technology, administrative streamlining and other management
techniques.
7. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing. Preference
will be given to proposals which demonstrate innovative approaches to
leveraging of funds, fund-raising and other sharing of costs.
8. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the
applicant's awareness and understanding of diversity and a commitment
to its achievement through individual grant awards and institutional
participation and in other ways in both administrative and programmatic
aspects of the Fulbright program.
9. Evaluation: The grant recipient should anticipate working
closely with USIA to evaluate the program consistent with requirements
of the Government Performance and Results Act.
Notice
The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on
the part of the Government. The Agency reserves the right to reduce,
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the
Solicitation Package for further information.
Notification
Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.
Dated: October 16, 1998.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-28288 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]
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